Get a Widget for this title
RSS FeedDoes Hollywood have a negative impact on the world?
Results so far:
| No | 36% | 637 votes | Total: 1746 votes | |
| Yes | 64% | 1109 votes |
No
Write now
Print
Invite a writer™
Add to FavoritesPeople forget that celebrities are human beings and that they experience the same things we do, the only difference being that the whole world knows when it is happening to them. We envy their palatial homes, exotic getaways, and closets full of designer clothes, and try to become like them in an effort to feel as glamorous as they do when we are lucky to catch a glimpse of them on the street or watch them on the red carpet at award shows. We look to celebrities as role models because of their picture perfect lives. However, as quick as we are to adore them, we are that much swifter in condemning and blaming them for ours and our children's bad behaviors such as DUI arrests, drug overdoses, eating disorders, promiscuousness, excessive partying, etc.
People don't understand that Hollywood is far from a realistic depiction of life. It's not the endless stream of parties, dances, exotic vacations and dinners with other A-listers that we quite imagine. We are given a very small window into superstars' lives, and this comes from less than credible tabloids who merely want to sell more magazines. And let's face it- what sells more? a headline speculating that a star couple is divorcing? or one that discusses how a celebrity mom goes grocery shopping? We should know better than to believe what the Enquirer and other gossip rags have to say.
For those who argue that young children are very negatively influenced by what they see on television and in these magazines, that because of what celebrities do as a DIRECT result our youth is dressing more provocatively, having sex at an earlier age, drinking, abusing drugs, what have you, I can tell you with certainty that they would do this even if pictures of Lindsey Lohan and others partying were not posted on the Internet. There would still be teenage pregnancies even if the likes of Jamie Lynn Spears had not had a baby at 16.
It's not the modeling industry's fault that young adults, both male and female develop eating disorders and body image issues. These celebrities feel the pressure more than the average person because a size 0 is what gets them that movie role and attracts those endorsements- in short, that's where how they make their money, and they do what they can to earn this standard of living. The size of the average American woman may be a 14, but there is immediate backlash when Tyra Banks and Jennifer Love Hewitt are photographed on beaches showing that they dared to gain weight.
The point is, it is not fair to hold the Hollywood elite accountable to a different standard that you would hold for yourself. Famous people never claim that they are perfect, and they do not encourage people to be like them. Just because we choose to emulate them doesn't mean that they have any obligation to us aside from living their life the best way they can, mistakes and all.
Thus, society should stop blaming Hollywood for whatever goes wrong in the world and instead urge people to take responsibility for their actions.
Learn more about this author, Maria Miaoulis.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
Yes
Hollywood in all its glitz and glamour, does not in itself have a negative influence on us. However, I will concur that that the image portrayed by most Hollywood celebrities and the media sends America and the world many unhealthy messages.
One of the main messages it sends is "thin is in". While it might be unhealthy to be obese, the other extreme is equally unhealthy. In some cases, being too thin can be fatal. Over thin models can often experience dizziness, faintness, and fatigue.
Magazines and mainstream media, which all originate from Hollywood, also make teenage girls and young women think that they must have the perfect weight, perfect make-up, perfect hair, perfect everything. In reality, it takes a lot of hard work and a lot of money to maintain those looks, which not all of us have. Many young women that read women's magazines feel inferior to the models displayed throughout the pages. They may develop eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia, which can lead to more serious health problems.
Another negative message that Hollywood sends would be greed. People think that you have to have all the latest things to be happy. Money does not equal happiness. The most money can do is offer a life free from financial worry, but the absence of financial worry does not mean that a person will be happy. In fact, many studies have shown that people often feel more happy when they don't have all of those extra things, as this leaves more time to bond with friends and family.
Also, I must point out that reality TV shows are flooding the airwaves. Personally, I do not like these, but many people watch them and don't know that their children watch them too. The women on those shows are bad influences because they teach young girls that they can be rude, disrespectful, and unintelligent and still get what they want. They teach boys that women are objects that you can have for a few minutes and then dispose of when they are no longer desirable. They influence young men to be irresponsible, ignorant, and wasteful. Reality shows aren't even real and yet they affect our youth in a very real way. They are a huge contribution to the relationship issues that the younger generation is dealing with.
Finally, I will say that entertainment is a wonderful thing. It gives us an escape from the hum-drum of daily life, but we must be careful what messages we choose to receive and not let the negativity impact our lives.
Learn more about this author, Deborah Lawwill.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
Difference of opinion? Debate now.
